Locking device for core barrels and the like



Sept. 12, 1950 .1 M. WALKER, JR 2,521,886

LOCKING DEVICE FOR CQRE BARRELS AND THE LIKE Filed 001;. 9, 1 947 Inventor John Michael Walker, Jr.

(ma W 15m Patented Sept. 12, 1950 LQQKING'DESIQEFOE OPEEB BRELS: AND'THELIKE" .liohngMich'aelrwalhcr, Jge, I-louma; .La'; JAnplicatinnnctobeta19 Se alNo-fi78; moi ties; (Cl. 255-72);

This invention re1ates to--newanduseful improvements coring apparatus-and more particularly to a locking devicefor core--barrels and/or-"a device; to be'used inconnection With-- any other instrument or apparatus-incidental to f general oil field, water or sulphur-operations There are several types and-hinds of -core bar-f rels; that i sfinstrumgents 1 used intaking c'ore" tests inthe general oilfield-operations." The particular'kindof core barrels that are pres-- ently in use are-of a type that are veryexpen sive'due tothe particular and intricjate construction and such is more particularly; due; to

the type and construction of locking devicesernployedflin conjunction with these core barrels. The type of core barrel novy in-use requires-specia lly constructed drill collars and subs, asitis in these drill collars and -ffsubs9that the-locking devices for; the corebarrels are ins-talleds It is therefore, necessary for an oil*1'ield* operator to have this {expensive equipment-on handat all times to be used in connection with taking acore and when it becomes necessaryfon-theoperatorto ,takea core test, hemust pull the entire assembly; sections -ofdrill" pipewut off the t 3 ground hole to attach the specialgdrill' collara'nd subs required'to be usedin-connection with the present orknown corebarrels, so that the core barrel he might use in taking the core will have the advantage of the locking deviceffound in the drill collar and sub. Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a, type of locking device that can be used in connection with a ny type and construction of core. barrel and;a-,.ty,pe of ,locking device which does not requirehth'e use of,;a;- particular type and construction di drill collar andfsub. More specifically the punpose of this invention is to provide a locking deyice thatmequircs no drill collar opfisub other than standard equipment.

,e o t with th eeter: presents-carin equipment, it is necessary that the core barrel and drill collar and subs must coincide insofar as measurements are concerned and it is often difiicult, expensive and efiects a lossage of time to rearrange the length and size of the core barrel, drill collars and subs. In actual practice, it is almost impossible and impractical to change the dimensions of the core barrel, drill collar and sub in the field.

Therefore, another important object of the present invention is to provide a locking device that is applicable for core barrels without the sition, 'and -support-ing a-dril F a zj necessity-of having at; changethe dimensions of the core barrel, stiltten rend subs/5 A further ain't-0f the present invention is to provide a locking device of --the';-a forementioned character k that i is *simpleandpractical} in ""con struction, "strongand reliable inpuseirelatively inexpensive to manufacture; and" otherwise," well adapted fonthfl f ptrptse tr which the same is l,. intended; j- 17* Other objects and 1 advantages reside in" the details of construction? and-operation as more fully hereinafter described ana claimedr refer ence being; bad to-t hefaccompahyin drawingsforming parthereof, wherein' lilge numerals, re

fer to like parts throughout;- an d in whjcht.

' Figure -1 is al'Ongi-tudinaPcrOSS ,Sectiontlirough, the lower portion-1 of a' drill-p "in; which is 16: cated and shown-partly 'oti nand partly elevation, thepresent inventi inflajloclrsd 15,

gitudinal sectio I p Fi ure-2 is a similar -'view of Figure; 1; and" showing the present -inventionj in" an unlocked; position; and,' Figure 3 is atransverse horiaorital sectional-1 View taken substantiallyonthe-"plane of'section s l e a e d m ed meht" of-ft'he .r re ent" spear heador pointed project, having an an:

nular shoulder, I 6."

A central recess c tdepression I8 "is provided; in the head portion I710 andterminates in an en larged internally threaded opening" ZiLthat', re-

' ceivably engages, the reduced, externally thread ed; endportion 22 oif a cylindrical cagell'; 1

One I end 26 ofythe 'cagez is provided with substantially frustiromonicalfichamber 28' that" engages the frustro-conical body portion 30 of a mandrel 32 having an annular flanged base 34 of a diameter greater than the diameter of the enlarged open end of the chamber 28.

Projecting upwardly from the reduced upper end of the mandrel 32, is a cylindrical neck 36 having an externally threaded portion 38 that receivably engages a jam nut 40 and a lock nut 42. This neck 36 extends through a recess 44 provided in the upper portion of the cage that opposes recess or depression l8 and the threaded portion 38 of the neck is positioned in recess '8.

Biased between the jam nut 40 and an annular shoulder 46, at the juncture of the recess 44 with chamber 28, is a coil spring 48 mounted on the neck 36 that adjustably supports the mandrel within the cage.

Circumferentially spaced ball seats or openings 50 are provided in the cage 24 communieating with chamber 28, and loosely engage spherical elements 52. The opening 54 of these seats 88'--is'oi "such a size as to permit only a segment of the spherical elements to project outwardly therefrom.

In practical use of the device, a suitable tool or grapple (not shown) is engaged upon the spear head 14 and bears against the annular shoulder Hi. The locking device is then lowered within a drill pipe 56 and due to the weight of the mandrel 32 and the weight of a drill stem 58 receivably engaging the threaded lower end 60 of the mandrel, the ',flanged base 34 of the mandrel depends and is: spaced from the open end of the chamber 28 with the spherical ele-.

ments 52 bearing against the body portionof the mandrel and well inwardly on the seats 50 as shown ,best i-n Figure 2. Upon release of pressure on the lowering tool, the headportion Hl andfc'age 24 willextend downwardly so that the spherical elements 52 bearing against an enlarged portion of the body portion thereby forcing the spherical element outwardly-from the opening 54 whereby the-same will frictionally engage theinner periphery of the well pipe to frictionally lock the present invention in a selected positiontherein to be actuated or rotated with the drill pipe.

Obviously, to remove the present device from the drillpipe it is -merely necessary to again move up the head'portion inwardly by the lowering-toolor grapple.. 1 1 y In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of: the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moreldetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary. 1 It is to be understood, however, that even though there ,isherein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible ,to ,certain changes fully compre hended by the spirit of: the invention as herein described and the :SCODS Of the appended claims,

chamber, a rod fixed to and rising from said mandrel, said rod being received in said recess and said depression, an abutment threaded on said rod and received in said depression, a shoulder provided in said recess adjacent said chamber, a spring embracing said rod and biased between said shoulder and said abutment for resiliently supporting said mandrel, said abutment being adjustable for adjusting the tension of said spring, and means slidable laterally of said cage and extending through the wall of said chamber, said means engaging the conical surface of said mandrel and being actuated by said mandrel for locking the cage within a drill pipe.

2. A locking device for drill pipes and the like comprising a'cage having a frusto-conical cham her at its lower end, a frusto-conical mandrel slidably mounted in said chamber and extending throughout the length of said chamber, a

threaded rod carried by said mandrel and having an upper end, said cage having a recess at;its

upper end communicating with said chamber,

and receiving said rod, a shoulder providedin through the wall of ,said chambeririding against the-conical surface of said mandrel and actuated by the mandrel in response to a lowering of the cage with respect to said mandreliorlock ing said cage within a drill-pipe, said abutment being adjustable for adjusting the/tension of said spring. 4

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said cage includes a removable head portion havinga grapple engaging element,-said;head portion,

having a depression in oneend receiving the upper end of said rod'and said-abutment,

4. The combination of ,clairn 2 wherein said last-mentioned means includes 'aplurality of spherical elements, and circumferentially spaced openings provided in said cage communicating with said chamber, said openings se1y.rece iV-, ing said spherical'elements, said sphericalelements bearing against said mandrel,

REFERENCES CIT i f, I

JOHN MICHAEL WA ER, it! i, 

